Description
Cheesy lasagna layers dance with rich tomato sauce in this Best Italian Bake that brings comfort straight from an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. Perfectly seasoned ground beef and melted mozzarella create a delightful meal your family will devour in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 pound Italian sausage
Main Vegetables:
- 1 onion
- 2 red bell peppers
Cooking and Finishing Ingredients:
- 1 pound pasta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 2 jars pasta sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 325°F and grab a large skillet for prepping ingredients.
- Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into the skillet over medium-high heat, making sure the surface is evenly coated.
- Add 1 ½ pounds diced chicken breasts and 1 pound sliced Italian sausage, cooking for 5 minutes until the meat begins to brown.
- Toss in 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped red bell peppers, sautéing until the vegetables soften and become translucent.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning across the meat and vegetable mixture, seasoning with salt and pepper to enhance the flavors.
- Remove the skillet from heat and carefully drain any excess fat accumulated during cooking.
- Transfer 1 pound of cooked al dente pasta into a large baking dish, creating an even base layer.
- Pour the meat and vegetable mixture over the pasta, then cover with 2 jars of pasta sauce, ensuring everything is well distributed.
- Generously sprinkle 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese across the top of the dish.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and slide into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese and create a golden surface.
Notes
- Check meat temperatures to ensure chicken and sausage are fully cooked before adding to the baking dish.
- Select a good quality marinara sauce that complements the Italian seasoning for deeper flavor.
- For a lower-carb version, substitute pasta with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice to keep the dish’s essential taste profile.
- Experiment with different cheese blends like provolone or parmesan alongside mozzarella for more complex cheese notes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 588 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg